The Quality of Youth
by Ethereal Prey
Summary: Two kids meet in Greece before the war. As they were destined to meet. BA universe. One shot.


_A/N: Here's a Winter Solstice present to you all! Oneshot! Please R&R! _

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It was a clear day in Greece. A young girl was traveling with a priestess to the oracle of Apollo at Delphi. She was merely 8 years old, and scampering about. She was told that this journey was very important to her studies. But she would rather be running and playing with her cousins instead. The priestess held onto the girl's hand firmly and lead her to the oracle. 

A young boy about 12 years old was playing with wooden swords in the trees nearby. The girl saw him climbing the trees and became fascinated with what he was doing. He jumped from branch to branch without fear, and then jumped to the next tree.

"Come child, the oracle waits for no one" the priestess said

She obeyed and followed her to the Oracle. The oracle was an old woman dressed in white. She looked at the child and then turned away. The trees swayed in the breeze and she turned around.

"This child will grow up and be a priestess of Apollo. Train her well, her devotion and faith will be tested. She will either fail and fall in love with a man that will destroy her and her country, or resist temptation and serve Apollo well. That is her fate. Apollo wills it"

The girl looked at the oracle confused. She did not understand what this old woman was saying. The old woman bent down and looked at her. The girl screamed out in fear as she saw that the old woman had no eyes. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her and ran into the trees to hide.

The priestess called out for her, but she ignored it. She climbed into one of the trees and buried her face into her knees. The boy jumped over to her branch and looked at her. He poked her with his sword and she looked up. She smacked it away.

"Go away!" she cried

"Hey! I was here first! No girls allowed!" he yelled back

"Leave me alone!"

The boy who's blonde hair was tied back in a small braid turned away from the crying girl. He hated it when girls cried, it showed they were weak. He tied a leather strap to his sword and then the other end. He slide it over his head and pushed it so it rested on his back.

"Stop crying, she'll hear you. You are trying to hide from her right?"

The girl looked up and wiped her tears. She saw the priestess walk nearby and search for her. She stopped crying. The boy stood there and watched the priestess leave.

"Did she take your doll away?" the boy asked

"No. You're just a stupid boy you wouldn't understand"

"And you're just a stupid girl"

"The oracle scared me"

"Oh yeah, she does that a lot. She doesn't have eyes, Apollo took them so her visions would be clearer as an Oracle"

"Why would she let him do that?"

"I don't know, I think they're all just lying anyways. The gods don't care"

"You shouldn't say that"

"Why not?"

"They hear and see everything"

"That's what they tell you in school to scare you. But I'm not afraid"

"You think you're so brave"

"I know I am. I will be a great warrior and I will be a legend forever"

"There is no glory in being a warrior"

"It's better than being a blind oracle, or a priestess or playing with dolls"

"Shut up!" the girl hit the boy in the arm and lost her balance. She was about to fall off the tree, when the boy reached down and grabbed her.

"Don't let me go!" she cried out

"Stop struggling. I'll pull you up" he pulled her up and back onto the branch.The girl sat back down and held on this time. The boy sat down next to her.

"Don't hit me again" he said, "or next time I will let you fall"

"Are you always this smug?"

"Are you always such a whiny girl?"

"You're just a dumb brute!"

"Well I'm the dumb brute that just save you"

"If you call that saving"

"Your welcome"

The girl looked up at him and crossed her arms. He simply smiled and wrapped his legs around the branch and fell over. The girl screamed out as she thought he fell, but he was just hanging upside down on the branch.

"Silly girl"

"Do you enjoy provoking me?"

"Why are you hiding from that priestess?"

"I don't want to go with her"

"Where is she taking you?"

"Back home"

"Is that so bad?"

"I'm suppose to study in the temple as alco, ako, alec something"

"Acolyte" the boy corrected

"Yeah that"

"So you're going to devote your life to the gods? Why?"

"I don't really have a choice. My parents are dead, and I live with my uncle. Seers all say the same thing"

"What?"

"I would fall in love with a man that would destroy me"

"Love is for fools. Besides seers and oracles are all wrong. They make up something to scare you and to get your money. They've been telling my mom that I would die"

"Why would they tell her that?"

"Well they say they see things, see my death as some glorious battle. She started believing it too. Telling me that I would die"

"Why would she do that to you?"

"I don't know, I guess she's worried. I'm all that she has left. My father died at war as well"

"At least you know your mother. I can't remember mine"

The boy lifted himself back up and looked at the girl.

"I'm sure you're uncle is a good person. Besides mothers nag too much sometimes. Mine tells me about my death. Who tells a kid that?"

The girl smiled a little and looked up at the boy. She noticed the shell necklace he wore.

"That's pretty" she pointed at the necklace

"This? My mom made it for me, she's always making me these things. I think she wished I was a girl half the time"

"Don't you have any brothers or sisters?"

"No, do you?"

"No. I have two cousins. They're my uncle's sons. They are always getting into trouble. But the good thing about being a girl is that uncle always thinks its their fault"

"Yeah I noticed that. It's always the boy's fault. Never the girl's fault"

The priestess came around again, calling out the girl's name. The two crept closer to the tree and stayed quiet.

"Come out here right now! Your uncle with be furious with you!"

The boy threw an acorn far into the bushes from the tree. The priestess followed the sound and went to search into the bushes. The girl giggled a bit and the boy got up and jumped to the next tree and turned around to the girl, he reached out to her to jump. She got up and hesitated. She shook her head.

"Come on, I'll catch you. Are you afraid?"

"It's high"

"Figures, you're just a girl"

With that the girl ran and jumped to the next branch. The boy reached out and caught her.

"Told you I'd catch you" he said as he released her and started climbing up the tree. The girl followed him and they reached the top. They looked out at the rest of the country.

"It's beautiful up here" the girl said

"Yes, I come up here sometimes to get away from everyone"

"It's almost as beautiful as Troy"

"Troy? Is that where you're from?"

"Yes. It's not as rocky though"

They both smiled and looked at the scenic view before them. The girl pushed back her long brown curly hair.

"I wish I could stay up here forever"

"Me too, but usually my mom finds me. She always seems to know. Must be a girl thing"

"Why don't you like girls?"

"Girls complicate everything. You always cry and whine."

"You don't cry?"

"Never. Warriors do not cry"

The girl looked down and saw the priestess still searching for her.

"I should go"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Will you help me down?"

"OK"

The two climbed their way down to the branch. The girl looked down and realized how high up she was.

"Are you afraid now?" the boy asked

The girl merely nodded.

"Come on I'll carry you down" the boy motioned

The girl climbed onto the boy's back, her arms around his sneck and he climbed down the tree. The priestess saw the two and ran up to her.

"What are you doing with this boy!" she demanded

"Nothing. I just climbed up the tree" the girl answered

"You must not be alone with boys. They are nothing but trouble!" she yanked the girl's hand and started dragging her away.

"Your welcome!" the boy yelled out

"You had me worried. Don't ever run off again" the priestess commanded

"Alright" the girl replied

The girl looked back at the boy who was standing there playing with his wooden sword again. He waved to her and she waved back and smiled. She broke free of the priestess and ran towards him. He stood there for a second wondering why she came back. She motioned for him to lean down, which he did and then she kissed him and ran off. He immediately blushed as her young lips touched his. She pulled away and ran back to the priestess who was fuming with anger. The boy stood there still leaning over, his mind still reeling from just what happened. His sapphire eyes looked up at her as she ran off. She turned back once and looked at him and waved. He stood up and fixed himself and waved good bye to her as well. He had been kissed by girls before but this was the first one that made him blush. He began his swordplay again and smiled.

The girl smiled as she pushed back her brown hair. The priestess was already lecturing her but she paid her no mind. She kept walking and smiled.

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_ I think you guys know who the two kids are. There is no need for anymore is there? Happy Winter Solstice! Happy Yule!_


End file.
